Child of the Wilderness
by Kitsuneko
Summary: AU story. Harry disappeared from the Dursleys when he was five. Eleven years later, he's been found, living in the Forbidden Forest. Except he's no longer exactly human...
1. The Lepren

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its trademarks are the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. This fanfiction was written purely for entertainment purposes; no money is being made through this. The species of Lepren and certain plot elements were borrowed from Wolfishgrin's story, Wolf Child, and are used here with his/her permission.

_**This is creature-talk.**_

Child of the Wilderness

Chapter One: The Lepren

Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest held many secrets, some of which not even its groundskeeper Hagrid, who often explored its depths, nor the Headmaster Dumbledore, who simply seemed to know _everything_, were aware of. Among these hidden secrets was a race of beings called the lepren. Part leopard and part wolf, their origin is unknown, though some wizards speculate that they are a result of a transfiguration gone wrong, or even a failed attempt at animagy. They are also thought to be kin to werewolves, due to their unique ability to shapeshift to a human form and back, suggesting a wizard origin, rather than animal. The lepren are a shy species, however, which rarely ever appear around humans, so almost nothing is known about them.

The forest was quiet, the time nearing midnight and the moon was high and almost directly overhead. If one looked closely, a dark shape was visible, illuminated by the moonlight. It was stretched out, catlike, on a wide tree limb, though its features revealed a more wolven appearance. Its dark fur caused it to occasionally become lost among the shadows, though in stronger moonlight, black rosette-shaped spots were visible against the dark fur. On the other hand, the creature's bright green eyes glittered like jewels in the night.

With a sudden movement, the black lepran raised its head to the sky and uttered a loud keening howl. The wind carried the sound throughout the forest, and the lepran waited, ears cocked.

An answering howl came from nearby, followed by a second, then a third. Then the forest was once again silent.

Noir waited a few minutes longer, then growled irritably and climbed down from the tree. His paws hit the ground hard as he lashed his thick, tufted tail back and forth angrily. Hiija was missing. Again.

The mean-spirited older lepran was almost more trouble than he was worth, Noir thought to himself with a roll of his eyes as he strode off to join the rest of his pack.

* * *

The grove of the lepren was a large clear area in the middle of the forest, far away from any other dwellings. The trees and greenery here were taller, wilder, but only a few stood within the grove itself; most stood close together around the edges of the grove, hiding it from view and shielding it as well. Though it could easily hold an entire, full-strength pack of lepren within its breadth, it was home to only a tiny fraction of that number now. 

Phantom sounds and smells assaulted Noir's mind as he entered the grove, memories of this place where he had spent more than half his life. He shook his head to chase the thoughts away, and focused on the present instead. He could see the shadowy forms of his packmates on the far end of the grove. He could also hear them arguing.

_**Leave me alone, Reeyu!**_

**_Aww, what's the matter? You're not getting scared of the dark, are you?_**

**_Don't you have anything better to do than trying to scare us?_**

**_Noir! Noir, Reeyu's saying there are giant spiders that hunt at night in the forest. He's lying, isn't he?_**

Noir sighed inwardly to himself as a tawny-furred female lepran ran up to him. _**Of course there aren't, Kyrie.**_ He reassured her, then glared at the offending male.

Reeyu looked away in indifference, his white-furred body standing out sharply in the dark. _**It's not my fault Kyrie's so gullible.**_

Kyrie growled at him, and Noir rolled his eyes. Already, he was getting tired; the only thing he really wanted to do was sleep. When he didn't respond immediately, Kyrie turned away to join the other member of the pack, Manu. She sat beside him in a huff while he tried to comfort her.

Noir's ears cocked as they caught the sound of another approaching. A large brindle-coated lepran strolled casually past Noir, a sneer in his eye. The black lepran's hackles raised.

**_Where were you earlier? You didn't answer my call._** Noir accused.

Hiija was indifferent. _**I was around.**_ He said vaguely. He gaped his jaw in a mocking grin. _**I must not have heard you.**_

Noir snarled. Not likely, if he was close enough to get back so soon after Noir did.

_**Why should you care what I do, anyway? It's not like you're the Alpha.**_ Hiija continued.

**_You're right, I'm not. But Ash is dead, and this pack will fall apart if nobody does anything about it._** Noir's words rang true; a look around showed that it was already starting to affect the pack.

Hiija snorted and abruptly turned his back on Noir, ignoring him, and curled up on the ground to sleep. Noir gave up in exasperation and did the same. The others had been unusually silent during their exchange, and for now, the silence was left unbroken.

* * *

(A/N) (Edited to fix the bolded and italicized text. Hopefully, it's easier to read now.)

Again, the lepren are (unfortunately) not my idea and come from Wolfishgrin's fanfic, Wolf Child, which they have since quit writing. Any characters you do not recognize from the books are my original characters.

I've almost finished outlining this story, and it looks like it's going to be about 17 chapters long. Not short, but not too long, either. Hopefully I'll be able to get chapters out fairly quickly, but I won't make any guarantees…

I don't know how Kyrie's name got in there; I've barely ever even played Kingdom Hearts. This is what happens when I don't have access to my random name generator when creating characters.

Next chapter: Kyrie goes missing, and Noir has to rescue her. Also, find out more about Noir's pack, and Hiija's got dark designs…And I'll shut up now.


	2. Caged

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its trademarks are the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. This fanfiction was written purely for entertainment purposes; no money is being made through this. The species of Lepren and certain plot elements were borrowed from Wolfishgrin's story, Wolf Child, and are used here with his/her permission.

Creature-talk is now bolded. Don't know why I didn't think of that before.

Child of the Wilderness

Chapter Two: Caged

Sunlight at midmorning woke Noir the next morning. He sat up with a yawn and looked around him. The others were already gone.

Now, in the sunlight, what was hidden in the dark last night was now clear. The tall trees of the grove were charred and scorched, stripped of their leaves prematurely, and many of them would bear no more. Soot and ashes were scattered across the ground, and a faint smell of burning wood still seemed to hang in the air.

Noir's eyes closed and he sighed heavily. The lepran pack had been caught unawares by the fire that had sprung up in their home. Noir could hear their frightened yelps and howls long before he got back to the grove, but the fire was already high and his lungs were choking on the black smoke. He may well have died if the Alpha lepran, Ash, hadn't pulled him back, only to burn in the flames himself while trying to save the rest of his pack.

_**He's not coming back, none of them are. They're gone, Noir, it's just us now.**_ Noir turned. Hiija stood behind him, blue eyes staring up at the dead trees.

The black lepran shook his head, ears pressed against his skull. _**We're still just kids. We shouldn't have to do this on our own.**_ He said softly.

_**That's life.**_ Hiija said, roughly. _**No one's around to help us or tell us what to do anymore.**_ There was a brief pause. _**We'll need to rebuild the pack. You know what we have to do.**_

_**No!**_ Noir hissed angrily. _**I'll leave and become a Lone before I see the pack resort to that!** _

The other lepran's eyes narrowed dangerously. _**Fool.**_ Hiija said scathingly.

Noir turned away, unwilling to face the other lepran. **_Better a fool than a murderer._ **He said softly.

Hiija's lip curled upward, but a brown-furred lepran leapt into the grove. Manu's black-edged ears were pressed against the sides of his head in panic, his eyes wide. _**Noir! Hiija! Kyrie's gone!**_

Noir whimpered softly to calm the youngest lepran. _**What happened, Manu?**_

_**We were running over by the far end of the forest when she fell behind. When I went back to find her, she was being carried away by a huge human-like creature.**_

Hiija started to growl at the mention of humans, and Noir shot him a glance before turning back to Manu. _**You and Hiija stay here. I'll find Kyrie. Don't worry.**_

Manu whimpered in consent, and Hiija assented as well, though with obvious reluctance. Noir set off into the forest to track down their wayward packmate.

* * *

"Hagrid? You out here?" Ginny Weasley asked as she stepped towards Hagrid's hut. The fifth year looked, but didn't see the friendly half-giant anywhere inside or outside the hut. She sighed. "I hope I'm not gonna have to go to Snape after all." She muttered despondently. 

She heard grunting sounds from the edge of the Forbidden Forest, as well as the snarling of some beast, and she headed off in that direction, recognizing instantly the sound of Hagrid with a new pet.

The huge wizard was tussling with a tawny-gold ball of spotted fur, hissing and growling as it tried to escape. Ginny gasped and took a step back. "Hagrid, what _is_ that?"

Hagrid managed to push the beast into a cage and latch the door securely closed before turning towards Ginny, beaming excitedly. "She's a beauty, inn't she? Tha's a lepran, very rare. I a'ways knew th'was a pack o' 'em in the Forest, an' here she is! Now, what're yeh doin' out here?"

Ginny shrugged, eyes locked on the leopard/wolf hybrid in the cage. "Detention. Snape's busy, so could you give me something to do real quick and I can get back to quidditch?"

Hagrid frowned, bushy eyebrows furrowing. "Detention a'ready? But school's jes' started!"

Ginny just shrugged again. "Oh, you know how Snape is." She said dismissively. She jumped as the lepran gave a loud roar that echoed in her ears. Hagrid didn't so much as flinch.

"Well, I guess yeh kin help me with her, if Professor Snape's giving yeh trouble. I plan ta show her ta my sixth an' seventh years."

Now the red-haired witch eyed the lepran apprehensively. "Er, Hagrid? Didn't you say there was a pack of these in the forest? Don't you think, er, someone might come for her?"

* * *

Noir crouched on a tree limb almost directly above the red-haired girl. His black-on-black coat made him virtually invisible in the shade of the forest. Besides, when did humans ever look up? 

He growled and lashed his tail as the big human crammed Kyrie into a cage, and by the time the redhead spoke up nervously, he was readying himself to spring. As the big human was replying, "Ah, don' worry. Wha's the worst tha' could 'appen?" he leapt out of the tree and landed with a thud on the ground only feet away from the two humans. He gave a roar, not unlike Kyrie's of earlier, and stalked towards the smaller of the two humans, the girl.

* * *

Ginny screamed as the black lepran leapt effortlessly from the tree to the ground in front of her. The creature's emerald eyes glinted dangerously as he stalked towards her, a low growl in his throat. 

"Here now, yeh great lump! Pick on someone yer own size!" Hagrid yelled in an attempt to distract the lepran. It worked, for the creature's ears swiveled towards the sound of his voice, and the lepran left Ginny alone. Hagrid seemed to be wrestling with the creature, who was dancing around him, leaping back and forth to avoid the half-giant's fists.

Ginny watched, frozen in shock, until the lepran in the cage began whining. _It's here to release the other lepran!_ Ginny thought. Slowly, she began to edge toward the cage, while the black lepran was occupied with Hagrid.

"Watch out, Ginny!" Hagrid yelled warningly, and the lepran turned its gaze toward the girl.

Ginny ignored them as she fumbled with the latch of the cage. She opened it at last, and was practically bowled over by the golden lepran lunging from it.

At the same moment, however, the black lepran sprang toward her. With a yell, Hagrid slammed his fist into the lepran's head, and it was knocked to the side, where it fell to the ground limply. The golden lepran whined worriedly, but at the approach of the two humans, ran off and disappeared into the forest.

"Is it dead?" Ginny asked, but the black lepran stirred, reeling as if it was dazed from the blow. To their astonishment, the wolf-like body melted away, to reveal a boy, lying on the ground in ragged clothes.

The boy's bright green eyes flickered for a moment, then they closed, and he fell to the ground in a faint.

* * *

(A/N) Dunno what happened, but for some reason the question marks and exclamation marks in the lepren's conversation got deleted last chapter. Sorry about that. 

I'm not sure if Author Alert works or if I have to pay to make it accessible, but if you want to be emailed when I update, leave your email address in a review.

Next chapter: Ginny and Hagrid take the strange boy to Hogwarts to consult Dumbledore. Who is he? Could he possibly be their child savior, Harry Potter?


	3. Harry James Potter

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its trademarks are the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. This fanfiction was written purely for entertainment purposes; no money is being made through this. The species of Lepren and certain plot elements were borrowed from Wolfishgrin's story, Wolf Child, and are used here with his/her permission.

Child of the Wilderness

Chapter Three: Harry James Potter

"And he turned into a human, you say?"

Hagrid's shaggy head nodded. "Saw it righ' with my own eyes, Professor Dumbledore, sir. 'E's in the infirmary now, Madam Pomphrey's tendin' 'im."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he stroked his impressive white beard. "How very interesting…" He murmured, then, with a sudden movement, he rose from his desk and strode across his office to a wooden bookcase, from which he drew a large, leather-bound volume. He spread the book open on his desk and began flipping deftly through the pages.

"Ah!" His eyes lit up when he stopped on a page. Hagrid and Ginny both leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse of the book surreptitiously.

"'The lepren are a well-hidden species of which little is known.'" Dumbledore read from the book. "'What is known is this: they are leopard-wolf hybrids, strong magical creatures, and though they seem to live as wolves, they can take a human form. This may be done at the lepran's will, or the change may be forced on them under periods of high stress and pressure.'" He stroked his beard again thoughtfully, and abruptly slammed the book shut, causing both Hagrid and Ginny to jump.

Dumbledore rose, going to return the book to its shelf, and then turned serenely to face the student and teacher. "Well? Let us meet this lepran-boy."

* * *

Noir woke slowly, and then wished he hadn't, for his head felt like it was being split in two. He winced, pressing his eyes shut, and opened them again, more slowly.

White was all around him; he seemed to be in a room of some sort, a human establishment. He rose, and realized with mild startlement that he was human. It was a form he had not bothered to take since he was five years old, when Ash had found him in the human city and taken him to the forest.

He started to push the covers away from his bed and stopped. He did not remember much from his time with his human 'family', but one thing he did know was that humans did _not_ walk around naked.

"Clothes…must find clothes…" He mumbled to himself, voice rough from disuse. He looked around the room, but didn't see anything he could use to dress himself with. He stood up and wrapped the sheet around his waist instead. He had just begun to move towards the door when a solid, firm-looking woman walked in from a side room, warning in her eyes.

"Oh, no you don't! You get straight back into that bed, young man. You're not going anywhere until I'm convinced your head's healed."

"Clothes-" Noir protested, but the woman cut him off with a shake of her head.

"We threw those rags you were wearing away. Get back to bed and get some rest, and we'll bring you some proper robes later."

Noir went back to the bed, cowed. He eyed the woman warily, but she was not intimidated. Once she was convinced he was comfortable and not going anywhere for a while, she asked him, "You feeling up to some company then? Only Professor Dumbledore's outside and he wants to see you…shall I let him in?"

Noir was utterly confused, but nodded his head, instantly regretting it as a wave of pain followed. The door swung open, revealing an old man in brightly colored robes, with impossibly long white beard and hair. "Good evening. I do hope Poppy hasn't fussed over you too much." The man's blue eyes twinkled, while the nurse standing behind him huffed indignantly. Noir just blinked.

"I am Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry-the infirmary of which we are currently standing in." The man, Dumbledore, inclined his head slightly towards Noir. "May I ask your name?"

Noir was torn. Should he give his lepran name? Or, since he was among humans now, should he give his human name? The name he hadn't heard in eleven years? "Noir." He said at last. "My name…is Noir."

Dumbledore tilted his head to one side, studying Noir intently. "Is it? Tell me, do you have another name?"

Noir sighed, letting his head drop. This man would not be fooled. "It's Harry James Potter." He said quietly.

He looked up to see Dumbledore's white eyebrows lift, and his pale blue eyes flicked towards Noir's forehead before drifting down to meet his gaze. Noir's eyes narrowed.

"I see. Are there many others like you in the forest?" Dumbledore questioned.

Noir paused. _Ash…the pack…the fire…_ He shook his head. "Only a few." He whispered. He remembered little from his life with his aunt and uncle-probably a good thing, they didn't seem to have liked him much-but it seemed that the more he talked with these humans, the more things came back to him.

Finally, he interrupted Dumbledore. "Who are you? You know me somehow; I saw it when I told you my name. How do you know?"

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Yes…I do know you. You're the mirror image of your parents; I remember them from when they attended school here. I knew them quite well, in fact."

Noir's eyes fixed on Dumbledore's, their gaze intense. "My parents were wizards?" His tone was almost incredulous.

Dumbledore looked surprised. "Yes, of course-didn't you know?"

Noir shook his head. "My aunt and uncle…didn't tell me. They didn't tell me much of anything. If it wasn't for Ash…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

Dumbledore looked weary and didn't speak. Finally, he said, "As your parents were wizards, Harry, so are you. You must learn how to use your powers, rather than ignoring them in favor of lepran abilities. You are, of course, welcome to attend classes here at Hogwarts, though I'm afraid you'd be quite a bit behind. Nonetheless, please, consider it."

Noir shook his head. "I must return to my pack. Please understand…"

"Regardless, you will have to stay, at least for the time being, so your head can heal." Dumbledore insisted. "I'll send Miss Weasley in to assist you, she seems quite eager to meet you. Do give some thought to my invitation, Harry. Good day." And Professor Dumbledore left Noir alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Despite his calm demeanor when he was with Noir, Dumbledore was anything but calm. He did not run, but he certainly moved faster than one would expect to see Professor Dumbledore in the halls, and he went straight to his office. He threw a handful of floo powder in the fireplace, and the head of his deputy headmistress appeared. "Gather the staff together." He said shortly.

Professor McGonagall looked surprised, but she hastened to obey the Headmaster's order. Dumbledore sunk into his chair, steepling his fingers and thinking on this new situation.

The group was assembled quickly, and they all watched Dumbledore closely, curious to know what was going on. He didn't dance around the issue. "Harry Potter has been found."

The reaction was immediate and varied. McGonagall was shocked, Snape frowned, Hagrid looked joyful and horrified all at once, and Professor Flitwick nearly fell out of his chair.

"Is he alright, Albus? Where has he been all this time?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"It appears he ran away from the Dursleys. They were not as…open-minded as we could have hoped. He must have been found by a lepran, because he has been living with them for eleven years." Dumbledore explained.

"And what, in Merlin's name, is a lepran?" Snape demanded impatiently, and the Headmaster explained.

They were all silent for a while, digesting the news. Harry Potter-not human? Living in the Forbidden Forest, right under their noses?

"What's going to happen to him now?" McGonagall questioned.

Dumbledore shrugged wearily. "I confess I don't know, Minerva. He will have to be trained, but whether or not he'll agree to remain at Hogwarts is still uncertain." Doubt was mirrored in everyone's eyes, and several silent prayers were made that the Dark Lord would not return and the Boy-Who-Lived would not be needed again after all.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

(A/N) Thank you all for the reviews, it's good to know that the author and story alerts are free after all.

Next chapter: Noir and Ginny explore the castle, while the lepran pack plans a rescue attempt…


	4. Family Ties

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its trademarks are the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. This fanfiction was written purely for entertainment purposes; no money is being made through this. The species of Lepren and certain plot elements were borrowed from Wolfishgrin's story, Wolf Child, and are used here with his/her permission.

Child of the Wilderness

Chapter Four: Family Ties

Noir was in a slightly better mood later that day. True, he was still confined to a bed in a hospital wing with a killer headache, instead of safe back in the forest, but at least he had clothes now. Of course, he mused silently to himself, the point would be moot if he were to just transform back into a lepran. But then, he wasn't sure how the castle inhabitants would react to a giant, black wolf-creature, and he really didn't need panic-stricken wizards throwing spells at him. He wanted to get _out_ of the hospital wing.

He glanced up as the door to the infirmary swung open with a creak, and a familiar red-headed girl poked her head in. She appeared to be watching for Madam Pomfrey, for when the nurse was nowhere to be seen, she slipped into the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Noir watched her from his bed quizzically.

She turned to face him and jumped slightly in startlement when she realized he was staring at her. She recovered quickly, flashing a smile as she held out a hand toward him. "Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley." When he didn't answer or shake her hand, she let it drop to her side. "Er, so…what's your name?"

"Noir…" He answered, then his eyes widened slightly as he realized where he'd seen her before. "You're the girl who was with the giant-man, weren't you?" He remembered how he had nearly attacked her in his anger while trying to get Kyrie out. He winced. "Er, sorry about earlier. I was only trying to scare you away."

Ginny smiled slightly. "It's okay. Hagrid wouldn't have hurt your friend, he just gets…um, overzealous around new creatures."

"Anyway, " Ginny continued, sitting down in a chair beside him, "I'm supposed to help you with anything you need, since it's sorta our fault you're here in the first place." She gestured at the room around them with one hand.

Noir nodded his understanding, but didn't speak, and they sat in silence for a bit, until Ginny seemed to get uncomfortable. She quirked her head to the side with a slight smile. "You must be really bored, huh? I've been stuck in the infirmary on occasion myself, and it is deadly dull."

Noir shrugged. "It is rather boring…"

"Why don't we look around the castle? I can give you a tour of Hogwarts." Ginny said.

Noir made a face. "That…Pomfrey woman said I wasn't to leave." He pointed out.

Ginny's face twisted into a grin that Noir knew meant mischief. "Then we'll just have to sneak out."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Noir and Ginny were wandering around the halls. Noir was taking in everything around him in fascination and amusement-including the first- and second-years who stared in curiosity at the unknown teenager as they passed by them in the hall.

He was particularly amused by the ticklish pear that opened the door to the kitchens and the eager house elves within. They came away both loaded with pastries and sweets, which Noir confessed he had never had before. His childlike excitement made Ginny smile on more than one occasion.

"What's in there?" Noir asked, pointing to a door on the third floor.

"That? Oh, that's the trophy room. It's where they store past quidditch trophies, awards for Services to the School, things like that." He followed her into the room and gazed at the various awards.

Noir's eyes swept over a trophy from some twenty years ago, and he almost passed by it, but he stopped and his eyes snapped back to the quidditch trophy. It read, "Quidditch Player of the Year: James Potter." His shocked gasp brought Ginny's attention.

"What is it?" She asked.

Noir pointed at the trophy. "That's my dad! That was my father's trophy."

Ginny's eyes widened. "James Potter? Then-" Whatever she was about to say next, she stopped herself, but Noir hadn't even noticed, too wrapped up in his father's picture beside the trophy.

His gaze was wistful now. "I don't even remember them. I was too young when they died, and the _Dursleys_ didn't help…"

"Well, if your parents went here," Ginny suggested hesitantly, "Then a lot of the teachers probably taught them or knew them at Hogwarts. You could try talking to some of them, or maybe even the Headmaster."

Noir blinked thoughtfully, and smiled. Perhaps staying at Hogwarts wasn't such a bad idea after all…

* * *

Kyrie stumbled back to the grove to Hiija and Manu. The other lepran, Reeyu, had joined them as well, and they looked up anxiously at Kyrie's approach.

**_Noir's been taken! _**She cried.

**_Kyrie? Are you all right?_** Manu asked worriedly. He nuzzled his mate's side as if to make sure.

I'm okay, Noir came and scared the humans away long enough for me to run away, but he got hit! I don't think he got away.

The others whimpered to calm the distressed lepran down, but Hiija was enraged. **_And you just left him there to be captured by humans? What kind of coward are you? _**He spat.

Kyrie whimpered guiltily, and Reeyu and Manu stood to defend their packmate. **_Leave her alone, Hiija, she couldn't have done much by herself, anyway._** Reeyu pointed out, and Manu nodded in agreement.

**_We should be figuring out how to get Noir back._** Manu pointed out.

Hiija seemed to calm down. He had stopped snarling, at least. **_Right. We're going to rescue Noir from the humans._**

**_Umm, are you sure about that?_** Reeyu asked, unsure. **_Maybe there's something we don't know, or maybe Noir's already on his way back here._**

**_No!_** Hiija growled. **_Noir's part of the pack, isn't he? Ash said the pack is our family, and we have to help family. Come on!_** He sprung into the forest towards Hogwarts, and the others followed.

* * *

(A/N) You may all feel free to give me a thwap for taking so long on this chapter. Sorry, I got distracted by other things and neglected my writing. It really shouldn't take me longer than a week to finish a chapter, unless unexpected problems come up.

In response to the question about lepran powers, Wolfishgrin sent me an e-mail explaining it: 'Lepren uses their imagination, they do not have restraints about it like wizards and witches have. They bend it to their will. They use the magical particles in their surroundings and modify them, for example creating something out of thin air.'

I really don't think the powers are going to play too big a part in the storyline, but I'll fit them in somewhere.

She also sent me a picture of a lepran, and I have several that I've drawn as well, so I'm going to see about getting some stuff up on a webpage, too.

Next chapter: Harry gets a temporary tutor and meets some of the students in sixth year. But what will happen when the other lepren get to Hogwarts?


	5. Settling In

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its trademarks are the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. This fanfiction was written purely for entertainment purposes; no money is being made through this. The species of Lepren and certain plot elements were borrowed from Wolfishgrin's (now Lady Idyllic) story, Wolf Child, and are used here with his/her permission.

(A/N) Dusts off the story It's probably been so long that most of my readers have forgotten about it, huh? Sorry 'bout that. Lady Idyllic (Wolfishgrin) mailed me to say that she was starting her story, Wolf Child again from the start, and that rekindled my interest in my own story. Plus, NaNoWriMo ate my soul the past month. o0

I'm currently working on two different fanfics as well as an original novel, though, so updates will probably continue to be somewhat slow. For the record, if more than a month or so goes by without an update, by all means, PLEASE send me an email, poke me or ask what's going on, cause chances are I got distracted by other stuff, and people asking about the story always helps to get my attention back on it.

* * *

Child of the Wilderness 

Chapter Five: Settling In

"Feeling better?" Dumbledore asked as he entered the infirmary the next day.

"My head hurts," Noir grumbled, causing the Headmaster's mouth to grin in amusement.

"Ah. Well, wandering about the school in your condition could do that," he pointed out good-naturedly.

Noir had the grace to blush, and started stammering an excuse, but Dumbledore shook his head. "Your little illegal excursion is not the reason I came here. Have you decided yet?"

Noir didn't have to ask what he was talking about. He tilted his head to one side hesitantly. "Do you think…could I learn more about my parents if I stayed here?"

Dumbledore appeared surprised at his unexpected question, and answered thoughtfully, "Yes, I suppose you could. Several professors taught them." His eyes narrowed as he wondered just what the Dursleys had told the boy.

Noir, meanwhile, seemed to have made up his mind. "Then I'll stay," he decided.

Dumbledore beamed, clearly pleased. "Wonderful! But I think you'll have to have a tutor, to get caught up to the other students your age."

Noir scowled. "Why do I need to learn wizard magic anyway?" he questioned. "I bet I could beat any one of them with my lepran powers."

"They may be powerful and versatile, yes, but your lepran abilities require lots of energy to use, do they not? Your wizard magic may not be as strong, but when you have been taught, it will be much quicker and easier to use," Dumbledore explained.

Noir sighed, "I see your point. So is Ginny going to be my tutor?"

Dumbledore quirked a smile, "No, I'm afraid not. I am trying to find a more qualified and permanent teacher to help you, but I think in the meantime, Hermione Granger will suffice. She's one of the best students in sixth year-or seventh year, for that matter."

Noir grimaced, but quickly hid his disappointment. His early memories of school were not among his pleasant ones; but it was because of the memories he didn't have at all that he was here.

* * *

Noir was finally given a clean bill of health by Madam Pomfrey two days later. He felt like he could howl in joy, but didn't think that would go over too well with the humans. So he walked quickly and purposefully through the halls, trying to find the library where he was told to meet Hermione Granger. Ginny's tour days ago had been fun, but it seemed she'd skipped over some of the important parts. Like the library. 

As he was wandering the hallways, the very girl occupying his thoughts walked by. "Hey, Noir. What are you doing here?" she smiled.

Noir grimaced. "Trying to find the library," he explained.

Ginny laughed. "Well, no wonder you can't find it, you're on the wrong floor!"

She grabbed his hand and led him up to the fourth floor, to the library. "Here you are. I have to go to class now, I guess I'll see you later," and she ran off, leaving Noir staring after her, disappointed at seeing her leave and wondering why.

* * *

Hermione Granger was a quiet girl with bushy brown hair framing her face. She was currently bent over a table in the back of the library, lost in a book. 

"Are you Hermione Granger?" Noir asked, although he supposed she must have been-she was the only other person in the library.

She looked up, smiling. "Yes, that's me. You must be the new student," she said.

He nodded. "My name's Noir."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. Obviously, it was not a normal human name, but he didn't care; he wasn't going to change his name. "That's French, isn't it?" the girl asked.

Noir shrugged noncommittally. "I suppose so."

"Have you ever been there?" Hermione asked.

Noir paused thoughtfully, "Once…" It was where he'd been discovered by a certain English-French lepran.

Sensing at last that he didn't particularly want to talk about his past, Hermione brought out a sizeable stack of books and placed them on the table between them. The huge books made a solid 'thunk' as they hit the table. She ignored Noir's widened eyes as she stated, "Well then, let's get to work."

* * *

"Wingardium Leviosa is a simple spell, used to levitate objects in the air. There's a certain swish and flick movement-" Nearly an hour later, Hermione was demonstrating the practical side of Charms to Noir. "Now you try," she said, smiling encouragingly. 

Noir took his wand (it had been given to him, along with a host of other secondhand school supplies, by the Headmaster earlier that morning) and lazily tried to follow Hermione's movements. The feather he was attempting to levitate gave a pitiful little wobble, but didn't leave the table. It was obvious Noir was not putting full effort into the lesson.

Instead, he was fidgeting in his seat and looking wistfully out the nearest window, where he could just see the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest.

With a perturbed frown, Hermione glanced at the clock, and decided they had been practicing long enough. She snapped her book shut with a thump, which made Noir jump, as he'd been staring in the opposite direction. "Why don't we take a break for a little while?" she asked with a smile. "I can show you the Quidditch pitch."

Noir returned her smile with relief, agreeing eagerly. "I'm not used to spending so much time indoors," Noir confessed. It felt confining, after the many years living in the expansive forest.

They made their way outside of the school. Movement from above caught Noir's eye as they approached the Quidditch pitch, and he looked up to see several students flying through the air on broomsticks.

"That's the Gryffindor team, they must be practicing for the Quidditch tournament," Hermione explained.

Noir's head swiveled to stare at her. "Quidditch?" He searched his mind, and realized that was the name of the game that his father had played. He smiled as he and Hermione took a seat in the bleachers to watch.

Hermione began to explain the basic rules of the game. "There's four balls and seven players on each team. Three chasers try to score, the keeper tries to keep them from scoring, two beaters, and a seeker. I'm not really all the knowledgeable about it, if you want to know more, you should ask Ron or Ginny," she said.

"What? How could anyone not know about Quidditch?" someone demanded from behind them. They both looked up, to see that the quidditch players had returned to the ground, and one of the players now approached them, a tall, lanky boy, whose vivid red hair made Noir suspect that he was related to Ginny Weasley.

"Noir, this is Ron Weasley, a fellow Gryffindor, and the quidditch team's keeper," Hermione said shortly as the young man grinned proudly. "Ron, this is the new student, Noir. Dumbledore's having me tutor him until he finds a full-time professor to tutor him," Hermione directed to the red-headed boy.

Though he tried not to let it show, Noir could see that Ron found his name slightly odd. The keeper held out a sweaty hand. "Nice to meet you," he said, beaming.

Noir stared at the outstretched hand. He knew there was something to that action, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what.

When Noir made no move whatsoever, Ron pulled his hand back with a slight cough, and ran it through his hair instead. From the corner of his eye, Noir could see Hermione frowning at him. He shifted nervously. "Hello," he mumbled.

The two Gryffindors exchanged a look. "He must be shy," Hermione whispered in a low voice that Noir probably wouldn't have picked up if it wasn't for his keen ears. He didn't say anything; it was probably better to let them think that than let them know how woefully inexperienced he was with humans.

One of the other scarlet-robed Quidditch players drew their attention with a cry and a finger pointed in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. "Look! Something's coming out of the Forbidden Forest!"

The other kids all rushed over to see what he was talking about. "What are those?" "I hope they're not dangerous." As whatever they were looking at drew closer, many of them nervously stepped back and started climbing up the bleachers.

Curious, Noir and the others went to see what the commotion was about, and Noir let out a groan. Running across the Hogwarts grounds at a startling rate toward the Quidditch pitch where Noir watched were four lean shapes-the lepren.

Hiija was in the lead, naturally, snarling at the closest player, who staggered back, eyes wide in fear. Rolling his eyes, Noir jumped from the last few bleachers unto the ground and quickly transformed into lepran form. He raised his head and let out the loudest roar he could. Hiija and the others stopped in their tracks, some actually sliding forward in the dirt before halting, and they all stared at him.

**_Noir, you're okay after all!_** Kyrie said joyfully.

**_We were coming to rescue you,_** Reeyu explained, sending a weighted look at Hiija, who was working very hard to appear indifferent.

Noir rolled his eyes. As if he couldn't have figured _that _outfor himself. **_I've been doing fine on my own, you know._**

The others whimpered sheepishly, avoiding his gaze. Shaking his head ruefully, Noir turned to see that all the Hogwarts students on the Quidditch pitch were gaping at them. Shifting back into human form, he gestured to the gathered lepren and smiled somewhat sheepishly himself, "Okay, sorry about that. Umm…meet my family."

* * *

Next chapter: Running around a school of magic? The other lepren aren't going to let Noir have all the fun! Noir sheds a little more light on his and the pack's pasts, and the professors have some grave news… 


End file.
